'Collections of travels through Turky into Persia, and the East Indies. Giving an account of the present state of those countries, as also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng-Zebe and his brothers in their father's life time, about the succession. And a voyage made by the Great Mogul (Aureng-Zebe) with his Army from Dehli to Lahor, from Lahor to Bember, and from thence to the Kingdom of Kachemire, by the Mogols, call'd, the Paradise of the Indies. Together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin, and of their particular manners and trade. To which is added a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio, and also of all the Kingdoms that encompass the Euxine and Caspian Seas, being the travels of Monsieur TavernierBernier, and other great men.' [‎38] (357/1024)

Travels I n d i a
P artjl,
Indigo^ which is made at a great Town, not far from Amadabat, called Sarquef
There was in that place a Pagod^ which the Mahometans have pull’d down^ ard
built a Mofyuee in the place. Before you enter into it, you muft crofs three large
Courts pav’d with Marble, and encompall with Galleries ^ nor muft you enter into
the third Court till you have pull’d off your fhooes. The infide of the Mofom
is adorn’d with Mofikkrwork, the greateft part whereof is of Jlgats of divers
colours, which they fetch from the Mountains of Cambay a, not above two days
journey off. There are feveral Sepulchres of the ancient Idolatrous Kings, that
look like little Chappels, of MofakkcWorkjomlt upon a Vault that is under the Se
pulchre. There runsa River from Amadabat toward the North-weft, which du
ring the rainy-feafons that continue three or four Months together, is very wide
and rapid, and does much mifchief every year. It is fo with all the other Rivers
in India ^ and after the rains are fallen, you muff ftay fix weeks or two months
before you can ford Amadabat-Kivzv*, where there is no Bridg. There are
two or three Boats; but they are of no ufe,when the ftream is fo fwift • f 0 that
you muff ffay till the waters are fall’n. But the people of the Countrey will not
ftay fo long pfor to crofs from one River to another,they only make ufe of Goat
skins,which they blow up and fill with wind,and then tye them between their fto-
jnacks and their bellies. Thus the poor men and women fwim crofs this River,
and when they would carry their children along with them, they put them in
certain round pots of Earth, the mouth whereof is four fingers wide, and drive
the Pots before them. This puts me in mind of a Paffage, when I was at
dabat-in the year 1542, which is too remarkable to be omitted.
A Countrey-man and a Countrey-woman one day paft the River as I have rela
ted, and having a child about two years old, they put it into one of thefe Pots,fo
that there was nothing but the head appear’d. Being about the middle ofthe
River, they met with a little bank ofSand, where there lay an huge Tree, which
the ftream had carry’d thither y whereupon the Father fhov’d the Pot toward that
part, to reft himfelf awhile., When he came near the Tree, the trunk whereof
lay fomewhat above the water, a Serpent leapt out from among the roots, into
the Pot where the Infant was. The Father and the Mother frighted at the acci
dent, and havingalmoft loft their fenfes, let the Pot go a-drift where the ftream
earn’d it,and lay almoft dead themfelves at the bottom of the Tree. About two
leagues lower, a Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. and his Wife with a little Infant,were wafting themfelves
in the River before they went to eat. They defery’d thePota-far-off, with the
half of the Infant’s-head that appear’d above the hole. The Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. immediately
fwims to the relief of the child, and having ftopp’d the Pot, drives it to the Ihoar.
The Mother follow’d by her own, comes prefently to take the other child out of
the Pot, at what time the Serpent that had done no harm to the other child,
fhoots out ofthe Pot, and winding about hers, ftingsit, andinfufes its yenom in
to the Infant, fo that it dy’d immediately. However, the accident being fo ex
traordinary, did not trouble thefe poor people •, who rather believ’d it to have
happen’d by the fecret difpofal of their Deity, who had taken frpm them one
child, to give them another for it,with which opinion they preftfttly comforted
themfelves. Some time after, the report of this accident coming to the ears of
the firft Country-man, he comes to the Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. to tell him how the mifchance
had happen’d, and to demand his child of him } the other Indian affirming that
the child was his, and that his God had fent it him, in the place of that which
was dead. To be fhort, the bufinefs made fo loud a noife, that it was at length
brought before the King, who order’d, that the child ftould be reftord to the
At the fame time there happen’d another very pleafant accident in the fame
City of Amadabat. The Wife of a rich Merchant Banian Merchant of Indian extraction. , nam’d Sahtidas, ne
ver having had a child, and manifefting her eager defire to have one, a fervanto
the Houfe took hera-fide one day, and told her, that if fte would but eat tlia
which he would give her, fte ftould be with child. The woman defirous to Kno
what fte was fo eat, the fervant told her it was a little fift, and that fte Inou
eat but three or four. Now the Religion of the Banians forbidding them to ea,
any thing that has life,fte could not at firft refolve to yield to his propolal j
the fervant having promifed her tha£ he would fo order the matter, tha